Loading device.



P. FIFIELD.

LOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. FIFIELD.

LOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25,1909.

Patented June '7, 1910,

2 SHEETBSHEET 2.

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ENTTED TATES PATENT @FFTQE.

FRANK FIFIELD, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB- F ONE-HALF TO ELMER E. KING, OF YANKEE SPRINGS, MICHIGAN.

LOADING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK FIFIELD, cit-izen of the United States, residing at Hastings, in the county of Barry and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loading Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loading and unloading apparatus and has for its object to provide a strong, durable and thoroughly efficient device of the character described capable of being readily transported from place to place, and by means of which coal, dirt, crushed stone, and other materlal may be transferred from a car or other containing vessel to a wagon or deposited on the ground for future delivery, or vice versa.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable loading and unloading apparatus including a wheeled truck having a crane mounted thereon and provided with a scoop adapted for transferring the material to be loaded or unloaded, means being provided for discharging the contents of the scoop when the latter reaches the desired height.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described, the several parts of which are such that when the jib and scoop are in normal or lowered position, the same will fall entirely within the lines of the truck thus rendering the machine very compact.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a loading and unloading device constructed in accordance with my invention, showing in full lines the scoop in lowered position and in dotted lines in a partially elevated position; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the scoop showing the pivoted end gate in open position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followin description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The device comprises a truck including spaced side members 5 connected at their rear ends by a transverse beam 6 and having longitudinal plates 7 secured thereto and spaced from the side members 5 to form intermediate compartments 8 in which are mounted on suitable stub shafts 9, the traction wheels, indicated at 10.

Mounted on the rear end of the truck is a crane, the latter being formed of spaced vertically disposed bars 11 having their lower ends bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the side members 5, and their upper ends deflected laterally to form an overhanging arm 12. Extending between the overhanging arm 12 and the side bars 5 of the truck, are inclined braces 13 having their intermediate portions connected by a transverse pin or bolt 14 on which is pivotally mounted, a beam or boom 15 carrying a scoop or bucket 16.

Fastened to a pin 17 carried by the overhanging arm 12, is one end of a cable, chain or other flexible medium 18, the intermediate portion of which extends over a pulley 19 carried by the scoop 16, and is thence extended over a wheel or pulley 20 arranged at the rear of the pin 17 and thence downwardly over idle pulleys 21 and 21 for attachment to a winding drum 22. The winding drum 22 is mounted for rotation with a shaft 23 journaled between the side bars 11 of the crane, one end of the shaft 23 being projected longitudinally beyond the adjacent vertical bar 11 and. provided with a master gear 24: which meshes with a pinion 25 disposed above the same. The pinion 25 is secured to one end of a transverse shaft 26 journaled in the side bars of the crane, the other end of the shaft being provided with a ratchet wheel 27 for engagement with a pawl 28, thereby to hold the scoop 16 at any desired elevation. One end of the shaft 26 is provided with an angular terminal 29 for engagement with a crank handle 30 so that by operating the handle 30 the scoop 1 may be raised or lowered for the purpose of unloaded.

The forward portion of the bucket or scoop 16 is provided with a cutting lip 31, while the rear end thereof is normally closed by a pivoted end wall or gate 32. Secured to the exterior face of the gate 32 is a spring actuated latch or bolt 33 arranged to enter an opening in a keeper 34. The keeper 34 is preferably formed from a single sheet of spring metal, one end of which is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom of the scoop 16, while the intermediate portion thereof, is bent upon itself and extended longitudinally within the scoop to form a spring tongue 35. 7

A knob or projection 36 is extended laterally from the spring bolt 33 and secured to said knob is one end of a cord or cable 37, the opposite end of which extends through an eye in the crane to a point in convenient reach of the operator so that after the scoop has been raised to the desired elevation, the operator by exerting a longitudinal pull upon the cord 37 may open the gate to dis.- charge the contents into a car or otherreceptacle designed to receive the same.

The forward ends of the side bars 5 are bent downwardly and longitudinally to form spaced spurs or fingers 38, which may be embedded in the bod of coal, dirt or other material to be trans erred for the purpose of assisting in retaining the truck in position during the loading and unloading operation.

J ournaled on the transverse beam 6 at the opposite corners of the truck are caster wheels 39 capable of being adjusted vertically so as to move the spurs .or fingers 38 downwardly in contact with the ground and thus support the side bars in a slightly inclined plane during the operation of the scoop.

A' brake 40 of any approved construction, is mounted on the truck for engagement with the traction wheels 10, thereby to prevent rearward movement of the truck during the loading or unloading operation.

In loading a car, the machine is moved to a position near the pile of coal, crushed rock, earth or other material to be loaded, and the crank 30 rotated which winds the cable 18.

closed position so that the scoop may again be filled with coal or other material for delivery to the car.

It will of course, be understood that when the scoop is in elevated position, the crane may be moved laterally to direct the material into the body of the car by turning the truck on the ground wheels 8, thus dispensing with the usual pivoted crane generally employed in devices of this character.

Attention is here called to the fact that when the scoop l6 and beam 15 are in lowered or normal position the same will be disposed entirely within the lines of the truck thus rendering the machine extremely compact and capable of being readilytransported from place to place. It will also be noted that when the scoop is in a lowered position, the cutting edge thereof will be disposed substantially in alinement with' the terminals of the spurs 38 so as to permit the spurs and cutting edges to be forced into the pile of material to be transferred.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described including a truck having terminal spurs, a crane mounted on the truck, a beam ,pivotally mounted on the crane, a. scoop carried by the beam and provided with a cutting edge, and means for raising and lowering the scoop, the cutting edge of the scoop being disposed between the spurs of the truck when said scoop is in lowered position.

2. A device of the class described including a truck comprising spaced side bars terminating in longitudinally disposed spurs, ground wheels mounted for rotation on the truck, a crane carried by the truck, a beam pivotally mounted on the crane, a scoopsecured to the beam and provided with an end gate, means for raising and lowering the scoop, and means for opening the gate to permit the discharge of the contents of the scoop.

3. device of the class described including a truck having spaced side bars, side plates spaced from the side bars of the truck to form intermediate compartments,

ground wheels journaled in said compart n ents, a caster wheelarranged at the rear end of the truck, a crane secured to the truck at said caster. wheel, a beam pivotally mounted on the crane, a scoop carried by the beam and provided with an end gate, means for raising and lowering the scoop, and a cable secured to the end gate for moving the latter to open position, thereby to permit the discharge of the contents of the Scoop. 7

L A machine of the class described including a wheeled truck having spaced side bars, the forwa'rdflnds of whicharebent downwardly and longitudinally to form terminal spurs, a transverse bar connecting the rear ends of the sidebars, side plates spaced from said side bars toform intermediate pockets, stub shafts extending sedans transversely through the pockets, ground Wheels mounted for rotation within said pockets and on said stub shafts, a vertically adjustable caster Wheel carried by the transverse bar of the truck, a crane secured to the truck, a beam pivotally mounted on the crane and provided with a scoop, and means for raising and lowering the scoop, the scoop being movable to a position between the spurs of the truck when the scoop is in lowered position.

5. A machine of the class described including a wheeled truck having spaced side bars terminating in spurs, a crane secured to the truck and having an overhanging arm, inclined braces forming a connection between the overhanging arm and truck, a transverse pin connecting the inclined braces, a beam pivotally mounted on the transverse pin, a scoop carried by the beam and normally disposed between the side bars of the truck, a Winding cable, a roller carried by the overhanging arm a pulley secured to the scoop, and a cable extending over the pulley and roller for attachment to the winding drum.

6. A machine of the class described including a wheeled truck having spaced longitudinal side bars terminating in downwardly extending spurs, ground wheels journaled on the side bars, a crane secured to said bars at the rear ends thereof and provided with an overhanging arm, spaced caster wheels pivotally mounted at the rear of the truck, inclined braces connecting the overhanging arm and side bars, a beam pivotally mounted for swinging movement be tween the inclined braces, a scoop secured to the beam and provided with a cutting edge normally disposed substantially in alinement with the spurs, a winding drum, and a connection between the scoop and winding drum for raising and lowering the scoop, said scoop being normally housed between the side bars of the truck.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK FIFIELD. [L. s]

Witnesses:

GEO. E. COLEMAN, ARTHUR A. CRoTHnRs. 

